miller



(No Model.)

' 6 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. P. S. MILLER.

TORPEDO BOA-T. I

Patented June 7, 1887.

(No Model.)

A. P S. MILLER. TORPEDO BOAT.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented June '7, 1887.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. P. S. MILLER.

TORPEDO BOAT.

-Patente'd'June 7, 1887.

(No Model.) a, Sheets-Sheet 4 A. P. S. MILLER.

TORPEDO BOAT.

No. 364,364. Pa tentedJune 7, 1887.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

A. P. S..MILLER.

TORPEDO BOAT.

No. 364,364. Patented June '7, 1887.

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(No Model.) 6 Shets-Sheet e;

A. P. S. MILLER.

TORPEDO BOAT.

N0.-364,364. Patented June '7, 1887] Wilcwaweo a I #64 1. 5 44 W v @2 13atto'wlu 's ALFRED P. s. MILLER,

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on NEW YORK, N. Y.

.TORPEDO-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,364, dated June 7,1887.

To all whom, it may concern.- 7

Be it known that 1, ALFRED P. S. MILLE a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, in the State of New York, have invented 5 anew anduseful Improvement in Torpedo- Garriers, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- 7to Figure l is a perspective view of my improved torpedocarrier withtorpedoes in position. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig; -3 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on m of Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a detached view of the wire buoy. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same..Fig. 7 is a plan view of the reelingniachine. Fig. Sis a side view ofone of the arms D detached. Fig. 9 is the same with the torpedo inposition to explode horizontally. Fig. 10 is a section of atorpedo-shell.

My present invention relates to a means for sending out torpedoes from aship or from a shore, and directing them to a particular point where itis-desired to explode them, even if the said point he miles distant; andit consists in the several combinations of devices hereinafter explainedand claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to de scribe the exact manner in which I have carried ittout.

In the drawings-A represents the frame work of a small vessel, providedwith the floats or buoys B B and the rudder U. The frame A is tightlyboarded up, so as toexclude the Water from the inclosed machinery, andallowing the vessel to sink to or just-above the center of the floats B,thus concealing the vessel from an enemys view.

0 To enable the operator on shipboard or shore to keep track of thecarrier as it speeds on its course, I attach an electric or othersuitable light, 0, just above and between the floats, with the hoodconstructed to show the light only in the direction of the stern, and tobe seen only by the operator or steersinan on shipboard or on shore.This light 0 is seated on a coil-spring, and is attached to the floatsby means of swinging rods 0 c, which will readily yield to the pressureof the waves and the levers F, which causes a discharge of elecallow thelight to descend between the heats,

Application died September 27, 1886.. Serial No. 214,634. (No model.)

and rise again when relieved from the passing pressure. By means of thislight the operator is enabled to keep the carrier in plain view, and tosteer it in any direction by means of the rudder G, as will behereinafter explained.

Around the bow of the carrier are secigred the arms D, on the outer endsof which. are placed thetorpedo d, as shown in Fig. 1. These arms D areattached to the vessel by means of the bent portion a,passing intosuitable sockets secured to the vessel, the sockets being provided withflanges a, to limit the swing of the arms D, and prevent the torpedoesbeing brought into dangerous proximity with the Vessel A. On the outerends of the arms are openings suitable 'for receiving andv holding thetorpedoes ready for explosion.

The arms'D are further secured to the ves- 'sel by means of thebrace-chains E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and they are connected together by the chain E, the extreme ends of which are secured to the twoside arms, as shown in Fig. 3, and passing through sheaves in the othertwo arms virtually binds the arms together, for a purpose I will nowexplain. If a ship be under sail or moving and should strike the chain Eon" either the port or starboard bow of the carrier, the result would beto cause all the arms to close under the ships side, and to enable theoperator to explode the four torpedoes with eifect, and the same resultwould be produced by a ship coming in direct contact with the carriersbow, as it would force back the sliding spring I, which engages thechain E immediately in front, and carrying back the chain wouldnecessarily bring all the torpedoes under the ships side, as shown inFig. 3. A weak cord, Q, may be secured at one end to any convenient partof the stern of the carrier, and the other end be fastened to the armI), as shown in Fig. 1. The effect of this would be to temporarilyresist the yielding of the chain 1*}, and then to snap or break, causingthe arms to jump together with a kind of spring. This cord, however, isnot essential to the suc'cesstul operation of my carrier, and may bedispensed with; but I have arran ed for an automatic discharge of thetorpedd es by having the outside arms in swinging to the front to comein contact with 35 tion by the spring-pins m.

- 2 I comes I l tricity from the batteries I e e, and throughproperly-arranged conductors c e the torpe-' dots are exploded. (SeeFigs. 1 and'S.)

By placing electric batteries on the carrier 5 the torpedoes canbeexploded independently of the battery on shipboard or on shore.

Near the center of the vessel A is secured a motor, G, of any approveddesign, to be 'operated by means of electricity, by which motor to thepropeller H is driven. In the rear of the motor G, I securean electricengine, G for ioperating and controlling the rudder G. This engine aswelljas the'motor G. is under the control of operator orv engineer onshipboard '15 by means of proper metal'lic connections 9 g and g g, andproper electrical machinery on shipboard.

H is the wire connectingthe carrier with the ship or shore, and thiswire is coiled on the drum I, which'is revolved by steam-power. -Thiswire H is paid out to suit the movements of the carrier as-it leaves theship, and'is again wound up to bring the carrier back to the ship. Thewire H as it passes from and to the reel I is causedlto pass under thefriction-pulley J, whereby it'is prevented from interfering with otherwires. 0n the wire H, I. place at predetermined intervals 2. float orbuoy, K, I

to sustain the weight of the wires as they are paid out and as thecarrier moves away. To these floats are secured the cross-arms k and k,carrying loops in which are secured frictionpulleys at over which thewires 9 gand gy pass, andfwhere these wires are held in posi- Around thecenter of each float is-also a metallic band,-N, to which is secured afriction pulley, a, over which passes the cord H, on which are securedrings 0, or other convenient means to hold the 0 floats in place and atproper distances apart on the wire. The wires 9 g and g y' are providedwith similar rings, to hold the length of these wires properlydistributed over the space to be covered.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letteis Patent, is=

1. -As an improvement in torpedocarriers, a series of swinging armsattached to a vessel go or frame and carrying the torpedo in theirouter'ends, in combination with flexible con nections uniting e'aeh ofsaid arms, whereby the latter approach each other when the connections aegdepressed, substantially as and for the purposelspecifie 2. The frameA, having the rudder G and a the floats 1 in the upper part of saidframe, in .combihation with swinging arms secured to the front and'sidesof the frame and carrying the torpedoes in their outer ends, a flexi leconnection unitingsaid arms, and guides for limiting the swingingmovements of the arms, substantially as herein described.

3. In a torpedocarrier, the swinging arms; secured to the frame orvessel and carrying 6 the torpedoes in-thei'r outer'ends, in combinationwith a flexible connection, E, uniting said arms, and a spring,P,engaging the connection and arms and projecting forward of the latter,whereby the arms are drawn together 0" upon the depression of saidspring, substantially as herein described.

4. The vessel or frame having complement ary steering and firingmechanism,'in combination with the floats B, mountedin the top.

of said frame, the swinging torpedo-carrying arms, and a hood orreflector, 0, above and between said floats, substantially as hereindescribed. v

- 5. The ,frame' A, havingcomplementary steering and firing mechanism,in combination with the floats B- in the top of said frame, a reflectoror hood above and between said floats and mounted upon a yielding seat,and the arms connecting the reflector with said floats, substantially asherein described;

6. The wire I-I, connecting the frame with the shore oifiship, incombination with the floats K, for supporting said wire, the crossarmsis k, and the pulleys m in said arms, over which adjacent wires pass,substantially :1 herein described. I

7. The floats K, having the cross'arms k and k, with the pulleys m, 'incombination with the wires ggand g'g, connecting-wire H, and the 5torpedo-carrier, all constructed to operate sub stantiallyas and for thepurpose set forth.

ALFRED P. S. :MILLER Witnesses;

T.'W,ALTER FOWLER, DANIEL CLARK.

